Got dairy free milk?

People with dairy allergies or following a casein-free diet, like many autistic children, can't drink cow's milk. But there are dairy free milk alternatives and the variety of options continues to grow. Many people drink soy milk or almond milk. You can easily find these, even at regular supermarkets. Or, order online via Amazon and have a case shipped to your door.

However, soy and nuts also are common allergens, meaning many food allergy sufferers cannot turn to these options. Don't worry, there are other dairy free milk options.

A good one is rice milk, which also are commonly found on store shelves. People intolerant of gluten should know that Imagine Foods' Rice Dream is made using a process that exposes it to gluten. Some people do not react to this, while others say they do.

Another option is Darifree. This is potato-based -- no soy, no rice, no gluten. It's harder to find and comes in a powder. You can order it at the company's website. My younger daughter cannot have rice, so I have used Darifree in recipes.

You'll also find a number of other dairy free milk options, including coconut milk, hemp milk and even sunflower seed milk. You'll even find options such as almond milk and coconut milk at discounted prices in stores like Aldi's, which helps save a few bucks if you're following a special food plan.

Is there gluten in oats?

This question - is there gluten in oats - is very common among people trying to follow a gluten free diet. It can be confusing since oats are a gluten-free grain, but many oatmeal products sold in stores are not labeled as gluten free. There's a reason.

The problem with oats is that they can easily be mixed, or come into contact, with gluten grains, like wheat. And if that happens, then the oat product you're buying would not be gluten free. 

So, this essentially boils down to companies that are willing to ensure the oats they buy and sell remain gluten free - or that steps are taken to eliminate any cross contamination.

This is why that question - is there gluten in oats - is sometimes tricky to answer.

The good news is that there are companies doing this and you can find gluten free oatmeal on store shelves. So, oatmeal can be gluten free. You just need to be aware of the product your buying, read the labels and look for a brand you trust.

I'm not personally endorsing any products here, nor is this a product review, but I want to point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

To give you a sense of what's out there, I've listed a few examples below. You can also find a wide range of gluten free oatmeals available online through Amazon or through The Gluten Free Mall.

• Quaker Gluten Free Oats: In the familiar cylindrical container, Quaker offers a quick-cooking gluten free oatmeal.
  
• Quaker Instant Gluten Free Oatmeal: If you prefer the instant oatmeal packets, Quaker offers this as well in a variety of flavors.

• 
• Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Gluten Free Rolled Oats: You'll find Bob's in stores that offer
organic foods and in store aisles featuring gluten-free products. This is pricier, but respected.
• Live G Free Gluten Free Quick Cook Oats: Lower cost options? Yes, if you have an Aldi's near you, look for gluten free oatmeal there under the
  Live G Free brand.

Like many gluten free products, the variety and pricing for gluten free oatmeal has greatly improved. If you like oatmeal, you should find one of these options near you or order online. I hope this post has helped you better understand the question - is there gluten in oats?

Quick and easy Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets -- just like McDonald's

I found a recipe for Batter Fried Chicken Nuggets over at the GFCF Recipes Yahoo site at Recipe Circus (so, no credit to me for t
he recipe).

At first glance, I didn't think it could possibly work, meaning I did not believe I'd end up with the tasty, fried fast food nuggets that you can buy in many drive thru's - at least not gluten free chicken nuggets with the same taste. 

Well, to my surprise, it does. I - of course - played with the recipe a little bit. It's hard to not tinker in the kitchen and make a recipe your own. The best part of this recipe is that you can use basic gluten-free flours and it turns out pretty much like the nuggets you'd buy at McDonald's. 

I made the recipe specifically using Bob's Red Mill products. Why? Reliability. I found Bob's to have the best selection of gluten free flours and other products, available in many stores - including the grocery down the street, and the quality was always high. So, that's why I endorse Bob's.

Specifically, I used these two flours to make the flour mix:

- Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brown Rice Flour

- Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour

I'll point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

So, if this is the style of gluten free chicken nuggets that you're looking for - this is the recipe.

• Chicken: I cut up about 3 breasts.
• 1/3 cup gluten free flour (I used about 80 percent brown rice flour and 20 percent tapioca)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Heinz vinegar (or other gf brand)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 cup water

Wash your chicken and then cut it up into nugget sized pieces. 

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Then, combine the vinegar and soda in another small bowl, quickly dump it in the flour as it reacts. Then, quickly add the water. Whisk well. Let this sit for about 5 minutes. It thickens. 

Meanwhile, heat some oil in a frying pan. Mix your chicken pieces in the batter and let them sit in there while the oil heats. When hot, fry until golden brown and cooked through.

Trust me, this works. And it's quick. And it's very simple. Say hello to homemade drive through gluten free chicken nuggets!

Is this Gluten Free Mac and Cheese also Dairy Free Mac and Cheese?

I never thought I'd be able to make good old macaroni and cheese again for my kids, especially not a good gluten free mac and cheese! Of course, we're on the gluten-free dairy-free diet, but also no soy. 

So, years ago (mid-2000s), there was no good cheese substitute to try - and even those that were soy-based were truly gross.

And, the gluten free noodles on the market then weren't great. My biggest gripe was that they were really mushy, soggy, and even slimy. 

Unfortunately, that meant no gluten free mac and cheese for me!

Then, a couple of then-new products changed all of this, at least for me.

First, I found Tinkyada gluten free pasta. The reason I like Tinkyada gluten free pasta is the firmness of the noodles. This difference was huge for me. I had been avoiding GF noodles, but this brand brought them back into my pantry for good. This texture is important for this particular recipe, too. 

I'll point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote products specifically by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

And then came Daiya cheese. Similar to the Tinkaya experience for me, Daiya was the first cheese of its type that really had taste and melted in a manner similar to real cheese. And, it had no dairy, no gluten and no soy.

Combined, this meant making a gluten free mac and cheese that also was dairy free mac and cheese was possible.

So, here's the recipe - it's just adapted from a typical mac n cheese recipe.

I promise, this will work. Enjoy.

Gluten free mac and cheese

(... and dairy free mac and cheese)

• 1 cup cooked Tinkyada gluten free pasta
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon margarine (Try a vegan to avoid dairy and soy)
• 1 tablespoon tapioca or corn starch
• Dash black pepper
• 1 ¼ cup non-dairy milk
• 2 cups shredded American/cheddar Daiya dairy free cheese

Directions:

• Cook the gluten free pasta according to directions.
• In a saucepan, cook onion in margarine until tender. Stir in flour and pepper.
• Add milk.
• Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
• Add cheese. Stir until melted.
• Stir pasta into cheese.
• Transfer to a 1 quart casserole.
• Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes – until bubbly.

Now, enjoy your gluten free mac and cheese - and, yes, dairy free mac and cheese!

Gluten free pizza crust recipe

One of the most common questions I get is about finding a good gluten free pizza crust recipe.  For many years, the in-store and restaurant options for pizza lovers on a GFCF diet were limited-to-disappointing. That's changed in recent years. I see some GF frozen pizza options in my local supermarket's freezer section. I also see some gf options on the non-freezer shelves - pre-made, ready to make. And, there are gf pizza crust baking mixes on the market as well - and I'll always recommend Bob's Red Mill products simply due to reliability and availability. Bob's has a good mix that you can buy online. 

The other big factor for pizza recipes had been finding a good non-dairy cheese. Since Dayai came on the market, I've pretty much used that exclusively. I find it tastes OK and melts well in the oven. And, unless you're dealing with a tomato issue, there's plenty of store-bought and homemade sauce options (if tomato is an issue - try pierogi pizza or pizza without sauce).

Another issue worth mentioning here - and one reason I turned to a homemade gluten free pizza crust recipe - is the cost. I find the in-store options to be pretty expensive for what you get. Combined with the homemade version having a better taste (imho), I'd rather make it on my own.

I'll point out that there are affiliate links in this post, which means I may receive a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Please know that I only promote products specifically by name and link products that I've personally tried and endorse. I never promote any product that I personally would not feed to my family or endorse to friends. The compensation received is used to support the blog.

With this gluten free pizza crust recipe, I can make a simple, tasty crust that doesn't take very long. I'll admit, this has taken years of adapting, tweaking, changing, etc ... but, I like this version and want to share it here. It's also very adaptable to various allergies and sensitivities. For example, if you can't use brown rice flour, use sorghum flour. So, here it is:

Shell ingredients 

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 2/3 cup chickpea flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 tsp xanthan gum (I order lowest cost item via Amazon)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder (buy in store or online via Amazon)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3/4 cup water 
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1/2 tbsp sugar (or any sweetener like agave or honey) 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix dry ingredients. Note: as an alternative, if you prefer to not buy the flours and xantham gum individually, replace the flours and xantham gum with a cup of pre-made gluten free mix, which you can also order online. Still add the baking powder. If you buy the pre-made, you can use the yeast packet if you want, but it's not necessary for this recipe.
• Add wet ingredients and mix well.
• Grease baking sheet with shortening (we use Spectrum) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I mostly use the parchment rather than shortening).
• Plop dough onto middle of parchment lined sheet - might need a spatula to get it all out.
• I do this next part at the sink since you'll need wet hands - the dough is sticky. Turn the tap on and wet one hand. Use your hand to push down on the dough and smooth it out into a pizza shell shape (circle, square or rectangle). You'll have to repeatedly wet that hand to keep from sticking. I do this until it's about 1/4" thick. I pinch the edges like you would for a pie crust.
• Bake 12 minutes, then, use a spatula or other utensil to gently loosen the crust from the sheet and slide onto an oven rack.
• Bake for another 5 minutes without the sheet underneath.
• After five minutes, again use a spatula or utensil to gently slide the crust back onto the baking sheet. Remove from oven.
• This is where you'll add sauce, cheese and other toppings as desired. Generally, I add these and then bake for five more minutes to heat. Then eat!

Here's some of my topping ideas for this gluten free pizza crust recipe:

Sauce: I make my own and the recipe I follow is on this page. I typically make this while the crust is baking - doesn't take more than five minutes.

Cheese: I use one bag of Dayai cheddar. You can just sprinkle the cheese and I see that Dayai now sells "liquid cheese" in containers too. I prefer to mix this and make my own melty cheese. So, dump it into a small pot. Add a quarter(ish) cup of rice milk (or any other milk alternative). Heat on medium until the milk heats and cheese starts to melt. Stir continuously to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Add milk as needed to gain the right cheesy consistency that you want. I make mine until it's sorta like a cheese dip so that I can ladle it over top of the pizza. My kids call it a "cheese blanket."

Veggies: My kids like any mix of chopped onions (small pieces), thin green pepper strips and mushrooms. Of course, add whatever you like.

Meat: I've used pepperoni (our store has a gluten free pepperoni), and I've also used ground meat to make "cheeseburger pizza." You could use any meat.

So, typically, I'll spoon the sauce, ladle the cheese, sprinkle the veggies and add the meat - then bake five minutes. I'll let the pizza rest for five minutes after coming out of the oven before cutting.

One final note - I've made a larger rectangular gluten free pizza when my kids had friends over simply by doubling the recipe. Worked just fine.

An Encyclopedia of Dietary Interventions and GFCF Help

Finally, there is a book that covers the use of diet in treating our children with developmental disorders, such as PDD and ADHD, etc. It's called The Encyclopedia of Dietary Interventions.

This is the kind of book that should answer a lot of those questions about what foods contain gluten and what foods are beneficial, and why? It's especially useful for any parent with children on the Autism Spectrum and looking at the positive and negative impacts of certain foods - the dietary interventions. 

We went this route with our children years ago as we realized that dietary interventions produced positive results with our family. We wish there had been a resource like this available to help guide us. 

You can grab a Kindle version online for a reasonable price. And yes, that is an affiliate link, but as I repeatedly note on this blog, I'll only promote products that I've tried, used and personally endorse. This is a good book and worth reading - whether you buy it or not.

Happy 2009 to all my gfcf recipes friends!

I just wanted to take a minute and say how much I enjoyed sharing with all of you in 2008 and how great it was to meet -- electronically -- so many people. This blog started as a simple way to share recipes with people who most likely were in the same boat as us. As many of you know, I have two daughters diagnosed with PDD and we embraced a gluten and casein free diet to help. 

And, it has helped. This blog has grown tremendously -- way beyond what I ever imagined. It's not really a source of income for us. I've not made a dime from it yet. But, that never was the point. The point was to try and help, just as so many people have helped us. 

I'd like to share a few facts about how many people this blog has reached in 2008: 

• 13,682 visitors, or roughly 38 visitors every day. 
• Those visiting the blog live in 84 countries. The countries with the most visitors were 1) U.S., 2) Canada, 3) Australia, 4) Philippines and 5) the U.K. 
• Some other countries that might surprise you: Malaysia, Iceland, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Panama, Portugal, Brazil, Pakistan, Israel, Norway, Turkey, China, Qatar, Estonia, Venezuela, Bahamas, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Anguilla, Iraq, Kenya, Faroe Islands, Malta, Chile, Iran and Latvia. 
• The city with the most visits in 2008 was Burnsville, Minnesota. 
• This blog holds the top Google ranking under the "gfcf recipes" search and the fifth spot under the "gluten casein free recipes" search. 

So, thanks to all of you for making this such a wonderful experience. I hope you've taken something worthwhile from this site and I hope to meet more of you in 2009. 

jim